Smoothies are great not just because they are fast and delicious, but also because they are easy to digest. Generally, most people do not chew their food enough so their digestive system has to work harder to break down the pieces of food, this takes away energy that could be devoted to something else. Because well blended food is easier to digest, it also means that the nutrients are easier for our bodies to absorb- making for a great après workout refuel. I also like to have one before I exercise if I do not really have the energy for it, or if I am in a rush and need something more substantial than a piece of fruit. You could put some greens in for extra nutrients, I recommend spinach for this particular recipe because I find it to be the least overpowering and you will not even notice it’s in there, except for the color. You can use canned or boxed coconut milk but it is surprisingly easy to make your own, which results in significantly more revitalizing electrolytes. I have included directions below.
- 1 cup pineapple
- 1 banana
- ½ cup coconut milk
- ½ cup ice
- 2 dates
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 pinch allspice
- optional: 1-2 cups spinach
- Blend until combined, if you use frozen fruit than you may not need to add any ice.
- water of 1 young Thai coconut (around 2 cups)
- meat of 1 young Thai coconut (around 1 cup)
- 1 cup hot water
- First you have to get the coconut open. If you have a machete then it will be easy, if not you will need a thick nail and good hammer. If the coconut is still in its packaging (it will not look like a coconut, but a light beige tiki hut with a point at the top), cut down the top until you see the top of the coconut. Make a few holes in the surface of the coconut and strain the water out into a bowl. Now you can make more holes with the nail and hammer until you weaken up a large enough part of the top to pull it off. Or you can just smash your hammer down until you make an opening wide enough to get a spoon in and scoop out the meat. This is my preferred method because it is more fun, but you will probably get some bits of the packaging so be sure to remove them. Blend altogether with the water and strain through a nutmilk bag or cheesecloth (see my contraption below). Store in the fridge for a couple days.
